Folding dynamics of colloidal clusters

ORAL

Abstract

We follow the evolution of colloidal clusters from a well-defined initial configuration towards various stable structures in order to understand how a system traverses a free-energy landscape. We use optical tweezers to assemble individual colloidal particles into an initial extended structure held together by a short-range attraction between particles. Particles diffuse across their neighbours' surfaces, lowering the cluster's free energy when particles come into contact. We precisely track the coordinates of all particles in the rearranging cluster throughout this assembly process with a three-dimensional imaging technique, digital holographic microscopy, and we quantify the various pathways from the initial state to the ground states.

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Presenters

  • Solomon Barkley

    Harvard University, McMaster University

Authors

  • Solomon Barkley

    Harvard University, McMaster University

  • Ellen D Klein

    Harvard University

  • Vinothan N Manoharan

    Harvard University, Department of Physics, Harvard University